Torchwood: Children of Earth

Released: 2009

Directed by: Euros Lyn

Starring: John Barrowman, Gareth David-Lloyd ,Eve Myles

Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller, Drama, Action

Over the past year we have been introduced to a plethora of films and TV shows chronicling the exploits of the human race, and their encounters with extra-terrestrials. While most people would suggest that our first encounters with alien species would be a joyous experience, heralding in a new age of technological advancement, these films are advertising a more pessimistic viewpoint along the lines of Alien Nation. In Star Trek we see the Romulans destroying planets out of revenge, in District 9 the human race exploited the Prongs for their own gain. Later this year we will also see the revitalization of the 1984 mini-series V (premiered Nov. 3^rd 2009) that details humanities first meeting with an alien species, as well as James Cameron’s newest film, Avatar.

Now I am going to backtrack to 2005 when Doctor Who made his triumphant return, played by Christopher Eccleston and later by David Tennant. This incarnation of the Doctor has a reoccurring message, “everything changes in the 21^st century.” Throughout, the series aliens make their presence known to the human race, oddly enough it’s usually in London, and around Christmas time. At the end of the second season, the series created a spin-off known as Torchwood staring one of the characters from Doctor Who known as Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman).

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Queen Victoria established the Torchwood Institute in 1879, after a howling run-in with the Doctor. But the purpose of Torchwood is to defend the earth against extraterrestrial threat, take their technology and reverse engineer it for the benefit of the British Empire. While several Torchwoods have been established throughout Britain, the series follows the adventures of Torchwood 2, which is set in Cardiff, “it’s always Cardiff.

Children of Earth is essentially Torchwood’s third season but they decided to make the story into a mini-series instead of doing a complete season, which is similar to how the current Doctor Who episodes are being released - individual stories or ‘specials’ instead of a full season.

Children of Earth starts with all the children in the world stopping in place, and speaking the words “they are coming, they are coming” over and over again, with slight variations the more often the aliens communicated with the planet. The message is from an alien species simply known as the 456, who have essentially came to Earth to further establish relations with the local populous, and request a very personal gift from them. I am resisting on explaining the story any further because it really takes away from the experience, and trust me, the story takes a lot of twists and turns that I did not think the show would take.  Some of the concepts are truly frightening, but I think it is safe for people to assume that it deals with Earth’s children.

The creator and writer Russell T. Davies wanted to prove that while shows like Torchwood can be seen as simple sci-fi action program that people watch for escapement, there is still something very important underneath the aliens and violence that deeply affects us.

Davies said, "I wanted to tell a story in which civilization snaps, in which we turn on ourselves, in which nothing is safe. Plenty of people live like that on this planet. In this story, it's Britain's turn."

Davies choice in focusing the show around children really follows this theme because whenever something dreadful happens to a child, it immediately makes things 100 times worse. There is something innately discomforting, whenever you think of a child in situations of peril and strife, and the show really plays on this deep emotion that we all feel as a species. While Torchwood and The Doctor have faced horrors from the likes of the Daleks and the Cybermen, both of who have aimed at eliminating the human race through their own unique forms of cruelty. These acts of cruelty reside within the fans of both these shows, that whenever they appear an immediate sense of dread is felt, but the amazing thing is that the creators of this show have been able to instill very similar feelings but from a virtually unknown race of creatures.

I thought the season was quite wonderfully done.  The writing was very well done, with a darker story then ever before in the series, it has a moment in the series that enraged me to the same level that is comparable to Joss Whedon. The quality of the acting has also definitely improved since the beginning of the series, some of the lines delivered by John Barrowman in the past have been a little cheesy but he is at his best here, especially since his character is forced to make some truly dreadful decisions.

While Children of Earth is technically season three of the series, Davies believes that dedicated fans as well as people that have never seen the show can enjoy this mini-series.

Specifically Davies said, "There are fleeting references to the past but, from the moment it starts, we're telling a brand-new story. It's been deliberately written so that no one will be lost - and, at the same time, the faithful viewer will discover so much more about the members of the Torchwood team. There are plenty of rewards for the long-term fan."

Torchwood as a series has always been innately ‘darker,' or more ‘adult’ than the light hearted Doctor, (which has had a number of really dark episodes that can rival Torchwood, but I’m speaking of the shows as a whole). The Doctor has his own energy around him. The surprising thing about Children of Earth is that the show actually becomes even darker and the things that the team have to face are unbelievable, even Captain Jack is forced to make the most difficult choices he has ever been forced to make which leads us to question his own morality and even his own potential humanity.

While I can understand that someone new to the series will find something engaging from Children of Earth, I can’t help but feel this is another situation like Firefly and Serenity.  You can see the film without watching the TV show, but I feel it’s more rewarding to watch the buildup than just the climax because it’s incredible to see the changes that Gwen (Eve Myles), Jack (John Barrowman) and Ianto (Gareth David-Lloyd) have made over the years.  Especially the progression of Ianto Jones from basically the group’s secretary to Jack’s best man (almost literally and metaphorically).

Overall I felt that Torchwood: Children of Earth was a well-made addition to the franchise, the only complaints I can think of are purely on a “HOW COULD THEY DO THAT!!” basis, but it also re-asserts the show as its own and not just as a spin off of Doctor Who. In the end, I would suggest people to checkout the previous two seasons of Torchwood before watching Children of Earth.  It really makes the experience much more rewarding, but if the idea of the human race entering into negotiations with an alien species that we have no way of truly comprehending, that have a completely difference form of morality, really grabs you, then watch this series.  Watch it now!

SHARP OBJEX Rating: 4 out of 4

Torchwood: Children of Earth Trailer